


apologies

by idaate



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, So., Spoilers for the 2nd palace, when he got home after defeating his shadow, yusuke said that madarame could say nothing but "i'm sorry"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 01:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11681097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idaate/pseuds/idaate
Summary: Yusuke returns home with the painting of his mother.





	apologies

There’s a static in Yusuke’s head since Madarame’s shadow had stated with a hideous grin that yes, of _course,_ the death of his mother? The defilement of ‘Sayuri’? It was his fault, his teacher’s fault, and how much an _imbecile_ must Yusuke have been to think that Madarame had somehow discovered an artistic genius in a three year old. Dumb, really. Stupid, actually.

He half-expects the static to disappear when they leave the metaverse along with all the gold that hurts his eyes, but it doesn’t, of course. He’s left with a faux portrait of his mother that’s closer to the original than the original painting itself, a painting that he clutches (too tightly? he’ll rip it. too loose? he’ll drop it.) in his hands as they review what went on in the hideaway.

Akira and the others send him off after accepting him as a member of the Phantom Thieves, and Yusuke smiles from thinly pressed lips as he thanks them dearly for accepting him into their group. The painting he gets to keep. Yusuke is not quite sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.

It’s a bit of a shock to open the door and see Madarame on the stairs’ steps, holding his head in his hands when moments (or had it been longer? the static was making it hard to tell) ago the man had been cowering on the ground and asking Yusuke to spare him his life, for wasn’t he a victim to society as well?

A sudden cold fits itself upon his shoulders as he realizes that he’s still holding onto the ‘Sayuri’ and that Madarame was standing _there, right there._ He holds the painting behind his back in timid hopes that he won’t notice, even if he _knows_ that’s impossible. “Sensei,” he says, and blinks at how hoarse his voice sounds.

But the scam artist doesn’t move, and tentatively, Yusuke closes the door behind him. It shuts with a dull noise.

“Sensei,” he repeats after clearing his voice, testing out the waters, “I’m home.”

Madarame doesn’t move from his spot, and Yusuke tiptoes past him, almost onto the stairs.

“Wait,” says the old man, and Yusuke freezes.

“Yes…? What do you require?”

“Yusuke, I’m…” Madarame inhales shakily, “I am so, so sorry.”

Yusuke stares at Madarame, not sure what to say. He settles on “Okay.”

“No, it’s most certainly _not_ okay,” Madarame says, and his frustration sets Yusuke on edge. “Yusuke, I…”

“You what?” The harshness in his voice surprises him as much as it does Madarame, who looks up with an expression of pure _fear_ and it makes Yusuke increasingly uncomfortable. “Pray tell, Sensei. What did you do that makes you feel as if you need to apologize to _me,_ of all people?”

Madarame is silent for a few more beats and then says “I am so, _so_ sorry. Forgiveness is too good for a person like me, but…”

“But?”

His foster father practically cowers at the ice in Yusuke’s voice, ice as strong as Goemon’s Bufu. Yusuke almost wishes that they were in that world again, so he could rip off his mask till his face bled and he could freeze Madarame’s body over again and again and again and _again and again and again and again and--_

“I’m sorry,” Madarame repeats, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“And that’s all you can say,” Yusuke realizes, states.

They stand there for a minute, two three five.

Yusuke walks upstairs. Madarame hangs his head.

The teenager’s grip on ‘Sayuri’ grows so strong that he nearly tears the canvas once he steps into his room. He has to recollect his thoughts and loosen his grip slightly. It doesn’t rip, and he is thankful. He doesn’t know what he would do if it had.


End file.
